


In The Land of Beginning Again

by DeathLife97



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - High School, Dorks in Love, Drabble Collection, M/M, Musician Bucky Barnes, Nightmares, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Slash, Sad with a Happy Ending, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-24 16:44:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9770966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathLife97/pseuds/DeathLife97
Summary: A WinterIron drabble collection, in honor of Valentine's Day. Based on my WinterIron fanmix, which you can listen tohere.





	1. Bleeding Love

**Author's Note:**

> Tags: Nightmares, Alternate Canon

Nightmares were rather commonplace in the Tower, so it wasn't surprising for Tony when he heard someone walk into the library as he played the piano. It was a particularly hard night for the genius, memories of Howard and Mom blending with horrid images of the Chitauri. He had only gotten three hours of sleep before being rudely awakened. Tony never stops his rhythm, playing a song that reminds him of James: " _I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing. You cut me open and I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love..._ "

As he finished, James came over to him and wrapped his flesh and bone arm around Tony's waist. "What are you trying to say, dollface?" he asked, pressing a kiss into Tony's neck, resting his face there.

Tony shrugged lightly. "Not my fault a lot of people are ignorant of who we really are."

James hummed in agreement. "We have the Avengers to support us. But even more importantly, we have each other."

"Always," Tony confirmed before playing another song. His voice always calmed James after a nightmare/memory, just as James' presence soothed him in return.


	2. Mercy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags: High School AU, Musician Bucky

Bucky breathed, setting his guitar down on the family couch before answering the door. Tony was coming over to help him study for his biology final. Tony wasn't even taking the class, but he had volunteered to help anyway. Not only was he smart and handsome, but kind as well. No wonder Bucky had had the biggest crush on the guy since freshman year. Opening the door, Bucky couldn't help but return the smile that greeted him. "Hey, Bucky! Let's get this shit done!" Tony said enthusiastically, pushing his way past Bucky into the Barnes' residence. He paused in the doorway, looking between Bucky and the guitar. "I didn't know you played," he said softly.

"Yeah. I was working on a new song when you came over," Bucky said with a shrug. "I could play it for you after we finish studying."

Tony smiled. "Well, then let's get started."

Several hours and three cups of coffee later, Bucky was studied out, cell structures imprinted into his mind's eye. "Ugh, I don't think I'll ever be able to look at an animal the same way ever again." Tony laughed, immediately perking up Bucky's mood. "Now that we're done, I can finally play."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Tony said, bouncing excitedly in place.

Bucky grinned at Tony's enthusiasm, hoping he would still be in a good mood after the song was over. Picking up his guitar and sitting in the adjacent loveseat. Tuning his guitar, he looked directly into Tony's eyes as he began to sing: " _You've got a hold of me, don't even know your power. I stand a hundred feet, but I fall when I'm around ya. Show me an open door. Then you go and slam it on me. I can't take anymore. I'm saying baby, please have mercy on me. Take it easy on my heart. Even though you don't mean to hurt me, you keep tearing me apart. Would you please have mercy, mercy, on my heart?_ "

As he continued, Bucky noticed tears making their way down Tony's face, though his smile only seemed to get bigger and he was finished, he barely had enough time to put the guitar down before Tony was on top of him, lips on Bucky's as if the other boy were oxygen he desperately needed. Bucky froze for about a second before returning the affection. "So, I take it you like it?" Tony rolled his eyes, mumbling something like ' _dumbass_ ' before kissing him again. _I'll take that as a 'yes'_ , Bucky thought before losing himself in Tony once more.


	3. The War Was In Color

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tags: Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Sad with a Happy Ending, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Slash

“ _I forgive you._ ”

...

“ _I killed your parents._ ”

* * *

* * *

Tony rubbed his left wrist before rolling the sleeve down over it. “ _I killed your parents_ ”. Of course the universe would designate his soulmate as a murderer. Just his fucking luck. Eighteen years old, and already fucked up beyond repair.

* * *

The Soldier stared at his right wrist. He did not understand the words written there. “ _I forgive you_.” Before he could contemplate this more, the Soldier was frozen once more.

* * *

After everything with Iron Man, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and all the bullshit with nearly dying so many times, Tony is so done with the universe. Although most everyone that had a soulmate spent much of their lives searching for their supposed other-half, Tony didn’t even bother trying. His parents died in a car crash when he was sixteen, only for him to find out a year and a half later that they were, in fact, murdered. His mother’s murderer was his soulmate. How could he ever forgive something like that; love someone who took one of the only people who ever understood him? He hid himself from love, only indulging in physical pleasures. It was lonely, but it was better than the alternative.

Then Steve told him about the Winter Soldier.

About Bucky Barnes.

And Tony knew he was wrong this whole time.

* * *

 

About a year after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., James returned to his birthplace. It wasn’t hard to convince Stark’s AI to let him into the Tower. His arm had been irreparably damaged when helping two children escape from H.Y.D.R.A.’s base in Sokovia, having only remembered them a few months prior. He waited in Stark’s lab, hoping the genius wouldn’t call Steve once he saw the other. 

After nearly an hour of waiting, Stark finally entered his lab. He paused when he caught sight of Bucky, but didn’t say anything. He only raised an eyebrow in question.

James lifted his arm in response, unable to speak. Stark hummed, walking over to his new “patient”. He studied James’ arm for what felt like an eternity (when only two minutes had passed) before grabbing a tablet, typing at rapid speed that even James’ trained senses couldn’t keep up. 

It was quiet for a long time, Stark calculating while James watched him. A memory came back to him at Stark’s furrowed brow. Of watching Howard and Maria’s still-warm corpses as they sat lifeless in their car. James blinked back the tears, looking at Tony. “I killed your parents,” he rasped. His first words in months, and they had to be those.

Tony raised his eyes. They weren’t shocked, or mad. They were a serene brown compared to the blue storms on James’ face. Like he already knew what the Winter Soldier had done. “I forgive you,” was all Tony said, causing James’ breath to catch in his throat. He looked down at his right wrist to make sure his words weren’t showing, causing Tony to chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe how much I hated you decades ago. Then when Cap told me that you survived and were made to be the Winter Soldier, well... it doesn’t take a genius like me to put two and two together.”

“I’m so sorry,” James whispered, his eyes flitting between his wrist and Tony.

The genius shrugged. “It’s not your fault. It’s HYDRA’s. And I will happily burn them to the ground to avenge my mother.” He averted his eyes back to the tablet. “So, about your arm...” As Tony babbled on and on about his new arm and its adjustments, James felt himself blush at the spark of life in brown eyes. He didn’t know what was going on, but all he could feel right now was something he hadn’t felt since before the war: hope.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


End file.
